Friday, April 24, 2009

Wiping Out Malaria

"How do we know this investment will work? Because we've already seen results beyond all expectations in some places in Africa. In the mid-2000s, Zanzibar blanketed the country with bed nets, attaining a 90% coverage rate, and provided its citizens with access to free, top-line medications. Together these efforts produced a 75% drop in malaria-related mortality in children under the age of five, and a 77% drop in malaria-related hospital admissions. In Rwanda, a national roll-out of top-line antimalarials and 2.4 million insecticide-treated bed nets resulted in a 66% decline in child deaths. It's worked in Burundi, Eritrea, Kenya and Ethiopia as well, all with financing from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Many Americans don't know about the Global Fund's important work. It is the world's largest financier of malaria programs, and more importantly it believes in all the things any good business should -- accountability, transparency, and a strong and continuous return on investment. It's a shining example of performance-based funding. We can be glad to know that our support for the Global Fund is done in partnership with other countries; for every dollar we Americans put into the Global Fund, the rest of the world contributes another two."

Peter Chernin is a member of the board of directors of Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (http://www.theglobalfight.org/) and is chairman of Malaria No More (http://www.malarianomore.org/). He is also the president and chief operating officer of News Corporation.

"Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow." Isaiah 1:17

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stanger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go visit you?'The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" Matthew 25:34-40